The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-09-21
Johnnie and the Bricks.

of bricks as his uncle came along.
" What are you doing, Johnnie?"
asked the uncle, after standing awhile
to look at the boy.
" Building house; that is what Pm
trying to do. Did you ever build houses
of bricks when you was boy?" asked
the little fellow
" Very likely" was the answer,
L" though forget about it, it is so long
ago. But | was thinking if you could
learn lesson from those bricks"
" a lesson from bricks?" asked the
boy in surprise; how can 1. Bricks
can't talk"
" Books cannot either, but you learn
lessons from them"
g Oh, but they have reading; that
talks"
" But pictures teach lessons without
line of reading"
" Uncle, | wish that you would teach
me lesson from the bricks. Will you?
l would like to see what they say"
every WE'LL" said the uncle. ''Just
set the bricks up each on its end, a
little distance apart, and all in line"
How many shall set up?" asked
Johnnie, after he had placed about
twenty on end.
"That will do" replied the uncle,
looking at the long row. "Now, do
you wish those bricks to teach you a
lesson?'
i" Yes, SIR replied the boy, eagerly.
What shall do?''
Come here to the end of the row
and push the first brick over against
the next one"
"Shall push now?"
Yes, right away. Push only the
first one"
The first brick was pushed against
the next, and then the boy stood up,
looking on. The first brick pushed
the next over, and that in turn the
next, and that the next, until the whole
row was down.
"There. They are all down, Every
one is Overt" shouted the boy "See,
uncle. All have tumbed!n
50 That is So" said the uncle. "Now
can you learn lesson from those
bricks?"
What lesson? l don't see any to
learn. only pushed one down and all
the rest fell of themselves"
Did they fall of themselves, or did
each push its neighbor, after you started
the first one?"
" Oh, l see now, uncle, what you
mean. If we give one brick push it
will push another, and that another, and
so all will go down"
Yes, Johnnie, and so it is with peo-
Pile. Give one start downward and
he will take another down with him,
and he another. But when did the
bricks stop falling?"
When all were down."
g Yes; and so it is with people.
Start one in the downward way and he
will take another along, and he another,
and they will keep falling as long as
there is one to fall. That was the way
with Adam and Eve. Eve sinned and
led Adam to sin, and then Cain fell,
since one after another of the human
family have gone down; all are sinners.
In the same manner we start people in
the way of evil habits or other sin, and
they start others, and so, if nothing pre-
vent, all might go down until the last
had fallen"
Uncle, never thought of that. But
it is 50. One boy learns to cheat. or
lie, or steal, and another learns from
him, and another from that one, and
so it goes on until whole lot of BOYS
cheat, or lie, or steal. 1t is awful, but
| never thought of it before. The
bricks have taught me lesson"
There is another lesson you may
learn from them; 90 down to the end
of the row and push back the last one
that fell. Will it make the others stand
up?"
"No, sir" said Johnnie, after trying
to make the last one in the row stand
on end. Il can't even make one stand
unless l take it away from the others.
They keep pushing it down all the
time"
Well, there are two more lessons.
To tumble all down you need but start
the first one; but you cannot make
them all stand again by pushing one
up straight. You cannot even make
that one stand up until you take it
away from those that went down with
it.
Thus you may start large number
of people in the downward way by
giving the first one a push, but you
cannot bring them all back by helping
up one. Each one must be helped back
by special effort. Nor can you feel
sure ofmaking him stand safely until re-
moved from the evil company of those
who are down. You see it is much
easier to push people down than to
help them up. 1t is much easier 60
ing down than to get back after you
have fallen. BE careful, my boy, that
you do not start some one in the way
downward to evil and ruin; he will be
almost sure TO take others with him.
To win him back will be much harder
task than to push him down. Even if
you save him that will not save the
others whom he took with him. Re-
member, too, that you would overcome
evil and be able to conquer temptation
you must stay out of the company that
brings evil and temptation"
Johnnie looked at the bricks with
very serious face as his uncle entered
the house, and determined to act on the